Qld landholders who pay land tax may be entitled to relief if a tenant's ability to pay normal rent is affected by Covid-19 or you cannot rent the property for the same reason.
If tenanted, you need to provide rent relief to the tenant for at least the rebate amount. For vacant properties, you may apply the relief towards financial obligations. In each case, you must comply with these leasing principles. https://bit.ly/3ck3w1t
You need to access your online OSR account to apply for the rebate. Fortunately, the OSR's online system has resolved the bugs that plagued this system in late 2019.
The relief relates to the property nominated. For multi-dwelling buildings (i.e non-strata-titled), the relief applies to all units, not just the one affected.
The rebate is restricted to 25% of the 2019 land tax liability for that property. It is not a cash bonanza but can cover a rent reduction for a number of weeks.
As you are self-certifying that you meet the requirements, expect the OSR to subsequently audit claims to ensure compliance.
The deadline for applications is 30 June 2020. Without an extension, landholders only impacted by Covid-19 issues after that date may be adversely affected.
To obtain the rebate, you need to add your bank account details to your online OSR account. By doing so, you agree that the OSR may direct debit any future liabilities and, once added, you can't directly delete your bank account details. You need to adjust the end date for those details so they lapse before the next land tax notice is issued. You can them avail yourself of all payment options.
June 2020
© PELEN 2020
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